spilledmilkfactory (Level 9)

A seething time bomb of a movie, Drive is the ultimate thriller

When I saw this, my body was so tensed that I left the theater feeling like I had just worked out. This is easily one of the most intense and disturbing movie I've ever seen, much less this year.

When you actually take the time to think about Hanna's script, it's really not that great. But it's the synthesis of fantastic visuals and pulsing soundtrack that make this movie unique. It's as much an audiovisual experience akin to a light show as it is a movie, but it works surprisingly well.

Funny yet immensely sad, 50/50 surprised and touched me.

The Ides of March drew me in with unspoken intensity. Plus, Ryan Gosling's "fuck you" face is too sexy to not include this in the top ten.

Super 8 wowed me as much with its clear nostalgia for films like ET as it did with its great action and charming child actors.

Vin Diesel and Paul Walker totally smashed like fifty cop cars with a giant safe attached to the back of their cars. Even if the rest of the movie was awful, that one scene would still justify its inclusion here. Luckily, the rest of the film was just as crazy and just as much fun to watch.

Brad Bird proved with MI4 that his success with The Iron Giant and The Incredibles was no accident. Under his careful direction, every scene felt like the most dangerous, heart-stopping moment ever put to film.

A hilarious feel-good film, Crazy, Stupid, Love was a great pick-me-up compared to the glut of explosions and horrific violence I witnessed this summer.

Like Super 8, Tintin was just good old-fashioned fun. It reminded me of the best movies of my childhood, but with the added oomph of some truly incredible action sequences and great animation.